Success in a Brown Bag: The Weekly Hodgepodge

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How should success be measured? Using that as your standard, who is the most successful person you know? (Or one of the most successful?) 

Booker T. Washington said, "Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome."    Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."  So, success is measured by how well someone overcomes obstacles using the Word of God.  With that definition, I'd say one of the most successful people I know is Beth Moore.  Wait, I don't actually know her.  Let's see, I don't actually know anyone personally who fits the bill.  Crap, never mind. 

Have you ever been to a hot air balloon launch/fest/party? Ever taken a ride in a hot air balloon? Is that on your bucket list? According to Frommers the ten best hot air balloon adventures in the world are Loire Valley (France), the Serengeti (Tanzania), Napa Valley (California), Lake Champlain (Vermont), Cappadocia (Turkey), Istria (Croatia), Gstaad (Switzerland), Yarra Valley (Australia), Muelle (Costa Rica), and Albuquerque (New Mexico). Which one on the list would you most like to experience?

No, I've never been, but if I could, I go to the one in Napa Valley, California.

May 25th is National Brown-Bag It Day. Did you/will you pack a lunch today? When did you last pack a lunch for someone and what are your go-to ingredients for a brown bag lunch?

No, not today.  I'll get off early enough to eat lunch at home.  I do pack my lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays (my longest work days).  I usually make some sort of salad or stir fry vegetables and chicken.  I almost always pack myself breakfast.

What's one of your favorite dance scenes from a movie or television show? 

This scene from The Littlest Rebel.

John F. Kennedy made famous the line, '...Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." So what can you do for your country?

Not much.  I didn't qualify to join the military when I was 18.  I'm not rich or influential enough to be run for political office. I've not been chosen for any of the positions I've taken civil service tests for.  Heck, my squares I made for the soldiers didn't even make it to the charity (percent complete stayed at 30% for months.  The minute I had mine ready to mail, it's posted they're done).  I guess I can just vote and pay taxes.  Know what I would like to do for my country?  Fire everyone in Washington and start over with some real statesman instead of the pandering crybabies we have now (I don't care what party they're affiliated with).

Weekends are made for __________________________________.

5k's, church, rest, fun, reading, crafts, bike rides, and catching up.  I was going to say "getting together with friends," but that would have been a lie. 

On this last Wednesday of the month, bid farewell to the month of May in seven words or less. 

May's almost over?  Dang that was fast!

Insert your own random thought here.

I've been in a pissy mood for a while now.  Just pray.

Auntie's 2016 Bookworm Challenge 03

Book: Once Upon a Summer

Author: Janette Oke

Info:  Copyright 1981 Bethany House Publishers

Where acquired: Offered as a free download from Amazon.com's Kindle store.

Rating (on a scale of 1-4 hashtags): # # # #

What it's about:  Poor Josh!  His grandpa and uncle are trying to marry off his Auntie Louisa.  Auntie Lou, as he called her, wasn't interested in marriage; only taking care of the farm chores, the men of the house, and Josh's soon coming great-grandpa from up North.  Josh spends his summer trying to thwart their efforts so he can keep his favorite aunt around.

Favorite Quotes: 

"Even the service was okay. The singin’ was really good—jest as though the folks were like birds glad to see the sun again and wanting to sing their hearts out. Old Parson White brought a sermon that even boys could understand and didn’t mind listenin’ to."  p.54.

"Gramps had talked about his 'family.' Sure we were a family. You didn’t have to be a ma and a pa and four kids to be a family. All you needed was people livin’ together and lovin’ and helpin’ one another. That’s what made a family—blood-ties and love-bonds."  p. 88.

What I Liked:

• It was a quick, fun read.
• Oke did a great job of writing from a young boy's perspective.  It wasn't sappy or cheesy.
• Though the book did have serious content, there were many comical moments that kept the story moving.
• The Kindle edition had real page numbers.

What I didn’t like: 

• Sometimes there was a slip in the "accent" of the characters.  Though noticeable, it didn't detract from the story.

To sum up:  I'd read this book years ago, but had totally forgotten the story.  It was great to read Josh's tale again.

Monkey in the Middle: The Weekly Hodgepodge

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Tell us about a time you found yourself 'in the middle of nowhere'. Was this deliberate?

On the Ladiga Trail last week.  A friend and I rode the portion between Piedmont and the Georgia state line.  It's beautiful, but with miles of no houses, buildings, or places to potty, it's creepy.  There's also no cell service up their either, so I won't be doing that ride alone if I can help it.

What's something you're 'in the middle of' today or this week? 

Getting ready for YMCA summer camp.  We've got a load of new hires and new registrations to process.  All I've done is eat, work, and sleep the past few days. 

At what age do you think 'middle age' begins? What does it mean to be 'middle aged'? 

Middle age is really a matter of individual perspective.  Some people define middle aged differently. For some, it's a time to really get it together.  For others, it's a time to start picking a nursing home.  My feelings?  I agree with my friend and new running hero 77 year old Nancy Grace, "I'm never going to act my age, so the number doesn't matter anyway."

Ravioli, stuffed peppers, samosas, deviled eggs, steamed dumplings, pierogis, or a jelly donut...your favorite food (from this list!) with something yummy in the middle. Your favorite not on the list? 

On the list:  Deviled eggs.  Not on the list:  Pizza rolls.

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying ''In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.' Would you agree? Have you found this to be true in your own life? Feel free to elaborate. 

Sure, there's both good and bad opportunities.  I've got the choice as to which opportunity I'll take.  Sometimes I face so much adversity that I simply want to run away.  Yeah, I know that's not the answer and most times I suck it up and move on.

What's a song you remember loving from your middle school years? Do you love it still?

In 1984, "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince came out.  It's still in my playlist.

May 18th is National Visit Your Relatives Day. Will you celebrate? Which relative would you visit if time, distance, and expense were not considered. 

Nope.

Insert your own random thought here. 

Can't think of anything, so I'll share a song that goes with the theme.

Five Minute Friday: "Miss"

Our Mistress of Ceremonies for the Five Minute Friday is Kate over at Heading Home.  Hope you link up with us and join the fun.



 

GO! 

The prompt sits there mocking me.

Miss

Miss!

That's right, I'll always be a Miss, never a Mrs.

I've accepted it, but I don't have to like it.

If only I'd been a better daughter, friend, auntie, human.  Maybe then I'd be worthy of the title Mrs.

If only I weren't so screwed up.

If only I weren't so...so...me!  Then my title wouldn't remain Miss.

Miss says "you've Missed out, Missed the boat, Missed out on life and real love.  Missed out on acceptance and friendship that lasts."

I'm sorry, but this world only accepts Mrs.'s.

Did you know that many forms do not include Miss anymore? Only Mrs. or Ms.  Even they scream "not good enough for this world."

What else am I going to Miss because of Miss?

STOP!

Washing and Waxing: The Weekly Hodgepodge

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What's something fun you're looking forward to on your May calendar?

May 15th, I'm participating in my first ever cycling related event.  In conjunction with the Cheaha Challenge (which I'm not crazy enough to attempt), Northeast Alabama Bicycle Association offers a Ladiga Cruise ride.  It's a fun challenge ride on the Chief Ladiga Trail.  I've got the choice between 12, 25, and 50 miles.  I know I can do 25, but 50?  We'll see.

May 22nd is the Lion's Club Run for Sight.  I've done the 5k version of this race a couple of times, but someone got the insane idea to change it to an 8k (5 mile) race.  AAAHHHH!  Oh well, my mantra for this year is "If I can do the Canyon Climb, I can do anything." 

What are some images that come to mind when you hear the word mother?

I plead the 5th.  I'm trying hard not to go into my yearly rant about motherhood.  You already know I'm not anti-motherhood.  In fact, I love kids and wanted to be a wife and mom.  But for obvious reasons, that isn't going to happen.  My hardness comes from a culture which dictates that wives and moms are the only "real" women, and rest of us subpar females need to get out of the way.  But I said I wasn't going into my rant didn't I?

What's something beautiful you own or have seen that's made of glass? 

The stained glass windows at the church come to mind.

Was today typical? If not what made it unusual? 

Yes, but that's a good thing.  I had a good day at work and a fun work out with the Silver Sneakers class.  that kind of "typical" day I like.

What is a quality you wish you could have more of?

How much time have you got?  The word genial comes to mind.  This world (and the people in it) can make one very bitter and depressed.  I fight it every day.  It's something I've been praying about.  I used to have a tender compassionate heart that broke way too easily. Now, I've swung the other way to where very few things move me to feelings of compassion, while it seems too many things move me to anger.  Petty things that seem like nothing to others explode in my mind as proof of my needing to be off this planet.  My heart is still way too hard and my mind still too dark.

And no, this being Mother's Day weekend doesn't make it any better (see question 2). 

What's the next major purchase you need to make? Will it happen in the month of May? 

Probably a washing machine.  The current one is hanging on by a thread, well, by a piece of masking tape. However, the purchase will not happen in May.  The problem is all the new machines are "high efficiency" machines, which means, they suck.  Many do not have agitators, so the clothes will not get as clean as they should.  Those machines require a very expensive special detergent.  The worst part is, the machines determine the load's water level, which is never enough water.  Call me a control freak, but I don't need a machine to tell me how much water I need to wash my clothes.  Some loads are dirtier than others and require more water and soap.  It's ridiculous.  I'm going to hunt for a used or refurbished "old style" machine.

What responsibility/job/work did you dislike while growing up but has proved helpful to you as an adult?

The only chore I disliked as a child was cleaning my room.  I still hate it.  Not because I don't want to do it, but because of my schedule, it starts looking like an okra patch before I have time to work on it.  Then, I seems to take days to get it into some sort of  manageable order.

Insert your own random thought here. 

My Lose Your Quit Quest went well in April.  The month of May will be a catch up month where I finish, or at least make some progress on, things I've started.